Reviewed by: Pat Byington
Rickwood Field to host past MLB stars for annual East-West Classic
Reading time: 3 minutes
On what would’ve been Willie Mays’ 94th birthday, Major League Baseball has announced another event at the ballpark that helped shape the Alabama native’s career.
MLB will host the second annual East-West game at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, bringing several past stars to the historic ballpark for a five-inning exhibition game on June 19.
Here’s what you need to know:
- What: East vs. West Classic
- When: 12PM | Thursday, June 19
- Where: Rickwood Field | 1137 2nd Ave W, Birmingham, AL 35204
- More info | Tickets
Last year, MLB hosted a celebrity softball game to celebrate Juneteenth at Rickwood Field.
East vs. West Classic
MLB released the full rosters for both teams, which includes several players who were involved with the league’s game at Rickwood last season.
The roster includes Alabama native Jake Peavy, who graduated from St. Paul’s in Mobile before being drafted in 1999.
Former players C.C. Sabathia and Chris Young were named the team captains before the rosters were selected. Last year when Sabathia was in town, he was a part of an MLB trip to the A.G. Gaston Boys & Girls Club.
Other notable names set to make an appearance include:
- Mike Cameron
- Prince Fielder
- Dexter Fowler
- Curtis Granderson
- Ryan Howard
- Adam Jones
- Andruw Jones
- Gary Sheffield
- BJ Upton
- Justin Upton
Make sure to keep up with any last-minute roster changes by keeping an eye on the MLB website.
Willie Mays Park
As part of the league’s investment in Alabama, MLB will help renovate Willie Mays Park in Fairfield.
The league plans to unveil refurbished baseball and softball field at the park. The city is doing community cleanup days to help prepare the site for the renovation.
MiLB at Rickwood
For fans of past renditions of the Rickwood Classic, the bigger draw may be minor league baseball’s trip to the oldest ballpark in America.
This year, two in-state teams will feature in the Birmingham Barons’ annual return to Rickwood Field. Here’s what you need to know:
- Who: Rocket City Trash Pandas at Birmingham Barons
- When: 12:30PM | Wednesday, June 4
- Where: Rickwood Field | 1137 2nd Ave W, Birmingham, AL 35204
- Tickets
Will you be going to check out Rickwood this summer? Let us know about your experience by tagging The Bama Buzz on Instagram, X, Facebook + LinkedIn.
